Gas-engine



(No Model.)

M. M. BARRETT. 81,-. J. F. 'DALY.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented June 17, 1890.,

Fig.4.

- WI'mB55 E53 lliNiTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORA M. BARRETT AND JOHN F. DALY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GAS-EN INE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,506, dated June 17, 1890.

Application filed November 27, 1389. Serial No. 331,782. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, MORA M. BARRETT and JOHN F. DALY, citizens of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Ignitors for Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in that class of electric igniting devices for gasengines in which the two electrodes at an open circuit terminating within the cylinder are caused to make and break contact by a finger or projection carried by the piston; and the improvements consist in certain novel construction and combination of parts prodncing an ignitor of great simplicity and a device possessing several advantages over similar devices, particularly as to certainty of action and economical consumption of batterry-power.

This improved ignitor is formed of two flexible tongues having considerable degree of elasticity and fixed by one end so that the opposite ends being set in close relation, but out of contact with each other, they can be set together to make electric circuit, and when released their own elasticity will cause them to separate and break circuit. These free ends of the tongues are the terminals of an open circuit, and being set into the gas-space above the piston in line with the end of a finger or projection fixed in the head of the piston they are pressed together by this finger as the piston reaches the end of its upstroke and are allowed to separate and break the circuit as the piston reverses the stroke. The spark is produced and the explosion takes place as the piston begins to move backward. The finger is formed of some nonconducting material, or is suitably insulated from the surrounding metal of the piston if formed of metal having conducting properties, in order to prevent waste of the electric current.

In connection with the conducting-wire between the battery and one of the tongues that forms its terminal we have applied and combined for operation an intermittently-acting current-interrupter, which is actuated from the engine-shaft and in suitable time.

with the other mechanism to cut off the current and prevent the production of a spark at every alternate upstroke of the piston when the electric circuit is made and broken; but no ignition of gas is required.

The class of engine to which our improvements are more especially applicable is one that is exploded at every alternate upstroke of the piston.

The manner in which we proceed to construct, combine, and apply our said improvements will be fully understood from the following description and the accon'ipanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents the invention applied to an upright engine of the sin gle-acting kind, the upper part of the cylinder and the side of the frame just above the crank-shaft being broken away to expose covered parts of the mechanism. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken through the cylinder at about the line :0 a: and looking toward the head of the cylinder. Fig. 3 is a vertical sect-ion through the head and top part of the cylinder.

A indicates the frame of the engine, B the cylinder, and C the piston.

D is the crank-shaft, and E the rod connecting the piston directly to the crank.

The gas-inlet is seen at F and the exhaust at G.

The engine and operating parts herein described, with the exception of the ignitor and current-interrupter, to be hereinafter particu larly described, have been made the subjectmatter of a separate application for patent filed on even date with this application and designated by Serial No. 331,781.

11 and I are the electrodes, of which the former is fixed at one end in the insulated plug M, with the other free end inside the cylinder set directly beneath the corresponding end of the otherelectrode,similarly fixed by its end in the plug M the two plugs being insulated from surrounding metal, and having binding-posts m m on their outer ends for connecting the conducting-wires X Y to the electrodes. metal tongues or strips having suitable elasticity to return to form and position when' pressed against or bent out of line and then released. In the present construction the tip of the upper spring is bent down, and a contact-point t' is formed to touch the surface of the lower spring before the two springs These two parts H and I are IOO meet flatwise. This is a better form of contact-point than the two springs touching flatwise at the ends.

K is a finger or pointed projection fixed in the head of the piston and insulated from the surrounding metal, as shown in Fig. 3, by the block or plug 70* or, instead of this con struction, the finger is itself formed of some material which is a non-conductor of electricity to a degree sufficient to prevent diversion and waste of the current when the finger is pressed against the spring-tongue H. The finger acts mechanically in closing the circuit and is not intended to serve as a conductor; but, on the contrary, it should be isolated electrically from the electrodes H I to insure economical use of the current.

In the class of engine to which we have applied our improvements a charge of gas is exploded only at every other revolution of the crank, and the firing-spark is not required at the alternate revolution when the piston makes the upstroke, because no gas is taken in for a fresh charge until the exhaust is closed at the end of such upstroke and the piston begins to make the return-stroke. The unnecessary use of the electric current at such times is avoided by placing in the circuit and interrupter and working the same from the crank-shaft in such manner that thecircuit is interrupted when the electrodes H I are brought in contact by the finger K at every alternate upstroke of the piston and no spark is produced at that time of contact. The interrupter employed for this purpose consists of the slide-bar P, movable in guides A? in a bracket A on the engine-frame and carrying a contact-spring S on the end, to which is connected the wire from the battery, the spring being insulated from the bar, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the path of the slidebar and in position to make contact with the spring S is a similar springS fixed on the frame and connected by wire X with the flexible tongue H. The slidebar is moved by the cam R, fast on the crankshaft and the switch-piece R that is swivcled in the slide-bar and travels in the groovesofthe cam. By the form and adjustment of the cam the slide-baris moved toward theframe to close the circuit at every other upstroke when the spark is to be produced and to break circuit at the alternate upstroke when no explosion takes place. The same slide-bar and cam are employed to operate the exhaust-valve, which is also operated in an alternate manner to throw open atevery other upstroke of the piston for clearing the cylinder of spent gas before a fresh charge is taken in.

This construction of electric ignitor with open circuit is not only simple and reliable in its operation, but is economical in its consumption of battery-power, and also capable of doing effective work with a light battery.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric ignitor for gas-engines, the.

combination of the elastic tongues H I, which are the terminals of an open circuitinside the cylinder, and the finger or projection K on the head of the piston, insulated from surrounding metal or otherwise made a non-conductor of the current when brought against the tongue II to make contact thereof with the tongue I at the end of the upstroke, substantially as described.

2. In an electric ignitor for gas-engines, the combination, with the tongues H I, which are the terminals of an open circuit inside the cylinder, and are adapted to make and break circuit and produce a firing-spark by being pressed together and then released, of a current-interrupter in the conductor between one tongue and the battery and mechanism operated from the engine-shaft to operate said interrupter at every alternate revolution of the crank, as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the feregoing we have hereunto set our hands and seals.

MORA M. BARRET". [L.S.] JOHN F. DALY. [L. s.] Witnesses:

OHAs. E. KELLY, EDWARD E. ()SBORN. 

